Study on analgesic effects of neuropeptide S

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24659690
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Anesthesiology/Resuscitation studies
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University
• Principal Investigator: HIROTA Kazuyoshi 弘前大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (20238413)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KUSHIKATA Tetsuya 弘前大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (80250603) ; KUDO Takashi 弘前大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (40613352)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ニューロペプチドS / 鎮痛 / ラット / 神経生理活性物質 / ノルアドレナリン / 青斑核

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As neuropeptide S (NPS) contaning neurons are existed in the locus coeruleus (LC) area that plays crucial role in the descending anti-nociceptive system, we hypothesized that NPS may interact LC-noradrenergic (NA) neuron to produce analgesia. In in vitro study, NPS did not evoke NA release from rat cerebrocortical slices. However, in in vivo study, icv NPS significantly prolonged percentage of maximum possible effect (%MPE) of reaction time of hot plate latency. The depletion of LC-NA neuron by DSP4 inhibited the NPS effect on the hot plate latency. In addition, there was a significant correlation between NA content of the cerebral cortex and %MPE. Therefore, NPS produced its analgesic effect, in part, by activation of the LC-NA descending anti-nociceptive system.

Free Research Field

麻酔科学